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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. present — the time now
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — a practice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — boats
  14. wax — to grow
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com